Idaho lawmakers to have formal ethics training next month

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BOISE, Idaho (KBOI) -- Newly elected Idaho lawmakers are gathering with statehouse veterans this week to prep for the upcoming session.

The 2013 Idaho legislature officially convenes on Jan. 7th and on day three of the session, for the first time ever, all Idaho lawmakers -- old and new -- will attend a mandatory four-hour ethics training session.

Folks we talked to think that's a good idea.

"People think about ethics but we don't necessarily train people on ethics," said Deborah Day of Boise. "So someone's idea of ethics might be different than someone else's"

The training session follows a string of ethical lapses and questions about Idaho lawmakers' conduct.

"We all need to be on the same playbook, if you will, so we know what the rules are so we don't make those mistakes that cause problems," said House Speaker Lawerence Denney, who, along with other legislative leaders, approved the ethics training.

During the 2012 session, senators and representatives worked hard to create new ethics laws and establish an ethics commission. In the end, they were not successful."

But legislative leaders hope the historic training session next month will raise awareness about ethics as lawmakers gavel in a new year.